Customer Reviews

Firewall (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(56)
2 star:		(37)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

Harrison Ford, plays Jack Stanfield, a bank executive, and developer of the most current software for Pacific Landrock Bank. The bank is due to merge with a huge conglomerate purportedly to enhance business and increase assets. Jack has conservative views regarding risk-taking and protecting the assets of customers. This strong stance stood him well for 20 years but places him in a dimlight with the new owners at the board meeting who are willing to risk the money of customers for future earnings. He is introduced to several high level entrepeneurs and associates believed to be associated with the new firm. The meeting is occuring right about when the banking network is being attacked by computer hackers who invaded Jack's home and are holding his family hostage.

The unexpected break in to Jack's house begins the tension that keeps mounting as more details are revealed regarding the reason for the kidnapping. Jack's wife, daughter and young son are threatened with physical harm ... the team of five stop at nothing to get what they want. Jack understands the seriousness of their threats when Bill Cox the leader, shoots one of his own men in the head after he failed to follow directions and nearly foiled their plans. He proved his point: Jack agreed to do what they wanted -- break into his bank's software, override the firewall, and transfer money to an account in the Cayman Islands. His wife and children nearly manage an escape before they are caught and sent back into confinement. Bill Cox punishes Jack by letting Jack's son almost die of an allergic reaction to peanuts ... The family realizes, they know too much to be allowed to live if Bill Cox and his team manage the money transfer ...

Jack desperately goes along with all the plans by moving money and changing information on the banks software - while plotting to overthrow Bill COx and his team. Harrison Ford plays a gutsy, tough, family man who fights with everything he has to save his family, to keep them alive. This film is filled with edge-of-your seat moments. It has a well developed plot, great actors, and a very satisfactory ending. At times, the scenes can be gruesome but the acting is superb and required for the theme. Anyone who loves to see Harrison Ford at his utmost best ... should see this film. He is one of the few great leading actors of modern times. This is a serious film, with lots of fighting and frightening moments therefore not for the faint of heart.
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Jack Stanfield (Ford) is head of bank security at a bank on the brink of a merger. Bill Cox (Bettany) is a businessman that, after a business meeting with JAck, makes Jack an offer. If Jack helps Bill rob the bank of $100 million, Bill will let Jack's family live. He has taken them all hostage, and is pulling Jack's strings to accomplish the task. OF course, Bill is less than trustworthy, and Jack soon finds himself in a no-win situation as the crimes start to point to him.

"Firewall" is an entertaining thriller. Harrison Ford gets the job done as Jack, although the years are starting to show. Paul Bettany is a solid villain, and is believeable for his brains and toughness. Mary Lynn Rajskub and Virginia Madsen are good in supporting roles. This is not a perfect movie, but it will provide a couple hours of solid enjoyment.

Firewall is one of those movies that you know what is going to happen before the opening credits start to roll. Harrison Ford plays a security expert forced to break his unbreakable security system as a smarmy criminal (Paul Bettany) holds his wife (Virginia Madsen) and kids hostage. It's familiar territory for Ford, but he plays it well like he usually does, while Bettany provides for a decent villain. And that's just about all the good that Firewall does. The film is a strictly by the numbers thriller that doesn't deliver on the thrills and opts instead for a safer route. We never feel as if Ford's family is in any real peril, and by the time Ford comes to the inevitable conclusion to turn on the criminals, we know where things are headed and what will happen next. Madsen, Robert Forster, and Robert Patrick all get wasted in roles that aren't worth their time; the only upside of which is that it's good to see each of them in a big budget flick. All in all, Firewall is a typical, derivative, by the numbers movie that doesn't offer anything beyond it's glossy surface.

As much as I love Harrison Ford's acting, this movie is not all that entertaining. It is an uninspired, by-the-numbers execution of a plot which was done much better in Bruce Willis' "Hostage" and numerous other films. There are no surprises or innovations along the way - it just goes on and on, and on, until it runs out of recycled plot devices, and, mercifully, ends.

THIS MOVIE IS ALL ABOUT FINDING A WAY OUT. IF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE TRAP IN A TERRIBLE SITUATION, HOW CAN YOU GET OUT OF IT WITH YOUR FAMILY? IT IS A VERY LOVELY MOVIE AND I WILL HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. YOU WILL ENJOY IT.

I first of all want to say that in this case 3/5 stars is in no way meant to say this movie is bad at all. I couldn't in good conscience give it 4 stars though as I reserve that for movies which are almost classic. I rented Firewall without knowing much about it besides that I generally like Harrison Ford as an actor and a person (besides some recent lifestyle decisions, I actually think he's a decent respectable guy compared to many of the emerging faces in Hollywood...) I haven't seen many of his films I haven't liked, besides Hollywood Homicide and K-19 Widowmaker (I actually semi-enjoyed 6 Days 7 Nights) and hadn't heard much about this one and I wanted to watch something I hadn't seen yet, so my wife and I rented it. We were both pleasantly surprised by this movie. It is an example of a good thriller. It lacked any type of sexuality, didn't have extreme violence, and had just a little bad language (there is an F word). This is refreshing considering how crude so many movies are today. The pacing of the movie was great. It started out quickly and was tense throughout. Unlike many movies, you actually cared about the characters and their fates and you actually hated the bad guy (played very well by Paul Bettany). The ending was abrupt and I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of a wind-down, showing the characters in the aftermath of a traumatic event, but the ending was pretty typical for this type of movie. All in all, Firewall doesn't tread much new ground, it isn't going to win an award, and it probably won't be remembered much 10 years from now, but it is a good Harrison Ford film, it is good entertainment, it is exciting, and worth at least a rental. I wouldn't call this one of my favorite movies ever, but did thoroughly enjoy it and would recommend it.

I watched this film and shortly after the beginning, diminishing returns set it.

Whilst on paper this may have seemed to be a good idea, in execution it clearly wasn't.

Harrison Ford has been one of those actors who can turn his hand to a number of roles and in this he was a rather bitter disappointment, turning in what I believe was a rather lacklustre, pedestrian effort. I had always harboured a hope that he would become a Gene Hackman type of actor, able to turn his hand to most types of film but bringing a sense of gravitas with it. In this, it seems that my hope has been dashed.

The plot held out some promise but in the end was over-ambitious and fell at the amount of detail involved. One almost felt that this was a remake of the Kim Bassinger movie when she was a retired thief.

After a while it all began to get rather tedious and especially the sequence of actually robbing the bank. This was just inept and frankly stretched the limits of credulity.

I also found it hard to stop laughing at the finale where a pparently in a remote hideout, no-one heard Ford's approach in a car, a cell phone was able to be used to call the police and they (the police) sent two squad cars to the origin of the call where the caller could not possibly have known what had transpired at the hideout.

I am sorry that Inspector Clouseau was not on the case.

Rather disappointing and not recommended.

I expect better from a movie starring Harrison Ford. He is forced to steal from the bank he works for because a high tech criminal has kidnapped his family. It doesn't go smoothly because recent changes has been made so Ford has to think quick on his feet. As expected, Ford saves his family due to a fortunate circumstance.

I found the plot trite and there was only a couple of mildly exciting scenes. I suggest skipping this dud.

Firewall is an entertaining flick but it has very little originality and worse of all it's very predictable. You have Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford) as a loving husband and father of two. Stanfield is the expert that designed the computer systems for the bank he works at, maybe it was just me but it took a while for them to tell you that he worked in a bank. So about 20 minutes into the movie the Stanfields home is invaded by men with guns and his entire life is turned around but you still don't know what the heck they want. Finally after a bunch of talk you find out that the men want Jack to help them break into the computer system he built and wire a load of cash into various accounts.

Of course there have been plenty of movies that are just like this one with so now all this film could hope for is that the cast gives a great performance. The acting is mixed up, those criminals that broke into the Stanfields home who are supposed to be relentless are far from it and that sets the movie back. These guys were getting beaten up and outsmarted by a couple of kids the entire time. Plus the guy from Wimbledon is leading them; the kids were pushing him around like it was nothing. Harrison Ford still has it because his skills are what keep you watching. Most people will have Firewall figured out within a short time. It has a few twists in it but I would advise to just wait for it to come on cable or for one of your friends to rent it because it's really not worth buying. I give it three stars because even though it was predictable there are a couple of parts that are good and Harrison and a few others give a good performance.

Let me start with this personal fact, I think Harrison Ford is a modern day Jimmy Stewart. He can do comedy,drama, action and mystery. Now the bad news, Ford is in the DVD Firewall and it acts like too many other films and TV shows.

Ford plays IT person Jack Stanfield. Paul Bethany (from Master and Commander, A Beautiful Mind) plays a cold as ice criminal mastermind who kidnapped Stanfield's family. The film sems almost like Desperate Hours with Bogart or the remake with Anthony Hopkins. Bethany starts to pressure Jack to heist 100 million from the computer design he created. Bethany is great as the icey cold mastermind, not as good as he was in Davinci Code.

Bethany's character harrassas Stanfield's wife (Sideways's Virginia Madsen) and his family. This is similar to Capr Fear with Gregory Peck or the remake with Nick Nolte. Madsen preformance seem to assail fear in every scream, fear in all her action and still it seem a poor man's choice in her acting.

To get the money, he usea gizmos (like an IPOD and plastic tubing) as if MacGuvyer would. Note, I like Ford as Indiana Jones, But Richard Dean Anderson was more suited to do these things Ford does in this film (Note Box set of MacGuvyer Season six is out!-better to get that , rathefr than this film !)

He does what asked and the family is still kidnapped, so Ford goes on a one desparation to save his family. Just like Warren Beauty's Dollars, Desparate Hours or in Ford's own Franic (rent that instead of this if yoiu want a Harrison Ford Movie).

Ford tries to hold this film together, but fails badly...The plot folds in the action.

It seem like twice told tales...I give it 3 stars-One for BEthany, one for Ford and One because I got this as a gift!

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD